Friday, May 10, 2013

Musings: Clearly Not Over

The clouds were scrunched down on the eastern horizon, gray on top, smokey red-orange on the bottom, when the dogs and I went walking this morning, regaled by the throaty trills and joyous warbles of chubby shama thrush, who always wake before dawn with something scintillating to say.

Such was not the case the other day when former Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho appeared before the County Council to give another one of her “poor me” spiels about how she has been so horribly mistreated by County Attorney Al Castillo. This time Al reportedly refused, gasp, to approve funds for her to travel to Honolulu for Councilman Tim Bynum's deposition, or to fly back home to Kauai to listen to her former first deputy Jake Delaplane recite “I don't recall” for seven hours.

Shay had occasion to be there because that same “irrational” Al was asking the Council to approve, which it did, more dough for Shay's two attorneys, one of whom represents her personally, the other in her professional capacity. Seems they've already burned through $47K and need $25,000 more. So, yeah, Al probably should've approved the travel money, at least to attend Tim's depo, but it's kinda Shayme to go crying to the Council about a few hundred bucks when you've already cost the taxpayers so much dough.

And it ain't over yet.

Though it does appear to be for Principal Nathan Aiwohi, at least at Kapaa Middle School, which now has a new interim principal. Despite Aiwohi's removal, or perhaps because of it, he's slightly ahead — 322 to 279 — in the support vs remove petition drive. While some of his critics have suggested he would be better suited to a career in law enforcement, it's unclear whether he's applied for one of the KPD dispatch vacancies.

It's also unclear why Green Energy's Eric Knutzen refused to answer questions for my current Honolulu Weekly piece on biofuels. Eric is the front man for the wood-chip-burning power plant now under construction near Koloa, as well as director of the Hoouluwehi Sustainable Living Program at KCC. Now, I may be old-fashioned, but it seems reasonable that he should answer a few questions about the project, considering the company got a $73 million federal loan guarantee, wants to lease Hawaiian Homelands in Anahola and plans to sell us electricity at an undisclosed price.

Who knows, maybe Eric has something to hide. Or perhaps he resents the way I've been exposing the shibai shenanigans of this "green" project since 2007, when they first proposed growing highly invasive albezia on irrigated state land at Kalepa.

Speaking of shibai shenanigans, the TVR violations outlined in the 16-part-and-counting “Abuse Chronicles” comprise the basis for a County Council resolution authorizing a special 3.17 investigation. The resolution, scheduled for next Wednesday's Council agenda, calls for creating a three-member Council committee to investigate whether the county complied with its own, state and federal laws in processing TVR applications and building permits for properties outlined in the Chronicles.

The resolution, introduced by Councilmen Mel Rapozo and Gary Hooser, also authorizes the committee to investigate other TVRs and building permits, if warranted. The committee will have subpoena powers — yes! — and the ability to hire investigators and hold hearings. According to the resolution:

The Committee shall, where appropriate, make findings regarding any alleged misconduct related to the laws that the County of Kaua’i is charged with implementing. The Committee shall, at its conclusion, make appropriate findings and recommendations as warranted.

To quote one political observer: “Let the fireworks begin."

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. I thought DHHL said no.

Why no EIS? Only an EA on the Koloa site.

What does USDA have to do with this? From PacBizNews Oct 12, 2012

"The commitment letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service means Kauai-based Green Energy Team and KIUC can begin construction of the facility, which will burn woodchips from trees grown on Kauai, early next year.
Financing will be provided by Deutsche Bank and Standardkessel Baumgarte Contracting GmbH of Germany, an equity partner in the project, will design the plant, KIUC said."

How can this get so far along without permits or fuelsource?

Joan Conrow said...

Many of the beneficiaries said no, but DHHL is still considering the lease, but perhaps with different terms. USDA made the loan guarantee, like how MARAD did with the Superferry.

Anonymous said...

I hope they put Nadine on that investigation committee.

Anonymous said...

@ 9:58 am
you have just lost your mind ...
her brother in law works for that department!

Anonymous said...

I hope they put an American Institute of Certified Planners on the on the investigation committee because of their commitment to ETHICS!

Anonymous said...

It will be interesting to see if Nathan Aiwohi is principal of Kapaa Middle come August. Hopefully the DOE won't just pass him to another school. Maybe he can go back to the classroom, although I hope for everyone's sake he takes the summer to reflect and comes to the realization that he is not well-suited to be an educator. I am sure he (and the Kapaa Middle School community) would be happier if he took a job in law enforcement.

Andy Parx said...

What a difference a chair makes.

Last time the council wanted to do a (charter section) 3.17 investigation Kaipo demanded that first they needed to set up procedures for doing it. But for that, he said, they needed a process for determining how the procedures would be derived. They finally gave up when they couldn't even decide if they were going to do it by ordinance or resolution. At one point Kaipo even suggested that they needed to hire an outside consultant to determine how that process to determine the procedures would be determined.

No, I'm serious.

Anonymous said...

For "confused"

USDA has funded almost everything KIUC has done via the Rural Electricitiy act that they administer. Farming and pork go together.

I had it from a good source that the wood chip power was going to cost about 15 cts/KWhr when first proposed 6 years ago. Now that the cost has escalated 2X, that figure is probably much higher which is why KIUC wants it kept secret.

It's the KIUC side demanding secrecty on price in all these PV and other deals. They don't want us to know just how overpriced these deals are compared to mainland projects where wind is under 10 cts/kwhr.

Anonymous said...

I feel there needs to be a support group for former county employees like Shay, Kaipo, Jake, etc. You all could get together weekly and plot you next move!

Anonymous said...

There needs to be a support group for people who are obsessed with former county employees. You all could get together weekly and try to get yourselves a life.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I was thinking seriously Shaylene needs to move on with her life.

Anonymous said...

maybe you should seriously get a life

Anonymous said...

Seriously Shaylene, get a life. We don't care what you think anymore.

Anonymous said...

So, "no one puts baby in the corner," Shay has surfaced. That's too bad--not that she will ever go away.

Completely trashes judicial system and OPA, and gets away with it. It's all in the family.

Yes, but, what about kicked to the curb once power hungry Jake Delaplane?

You were duped by your Siamese Twin, Jake. Don't you get it? You will always be an outside.

Shaylene can always rely on her back being scratched; she's granted too many favors to too many criminals when Prosecutor.

But, Jake? Back to the white-man's-world with his Shayme reputation in tow.

Aiwohi + law enforcement = disaster. Put a gun in the hands of this hot head, and one more innocent, elderly haole will be shot and killed from the roof of a house.

Paid travel? Someone ask why when the Kapaa High School Softball Team just traveled to O'ahu, a set of economy cars or vans wouldn't do for tranporting the coaches/team members/families?

Nope, a caravan of silver, high end Jeep SUVs is what was rented. Tax payers picked-up this tab--while so many families struggle to work 2 or 3 jobs and make ends meet. What other indulgent expenses did this school travel cost us?

No shame, this money could have gone to buy school supplies Kapaa High School students have been doing without.

Anonymous said...

seriously, this is not Shaylene. You obviously are obsessed. you've been led astray by over the top election politics. You should get over it. Get out a little. Stop thinking so much about conspiracy theories. get a life. don't be such a sap all the time. Stop thinking you know everything. Believe me, Joan gives you at most half the story.

Anonymous said...

Everyone should go to Hawaii Public Radio station website and type in the search box for Darryl Perry. In the 6:30 minute mark to 17:15 minute he talks about how they want to create a task force to watch the dirty cops from behaving badly.

What BS! You want to know then read the article written on April 15, 2003 in the Garden island News " Prosecutors office looking over Begleys assault case allegations.

Also read the book KPD Blue- if you are cheap then you can read it in Andy Parx News.

ES 177 is the X files that KPD, the County of Kauai, and State of Hawaii don't want you to know about!

Anonymous said...

You think Nathan is a bad principal, you should check out Debra Badua at Chiefess Kamakahele Middle. Ask any of the teachers there and hear their horror stories of how she leads. She should have been kicked out a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

Aiwohi should stay. Its a few of those kamikaze yeachers that don't want change should go!

Anonymous said...

The good teachers at KMS are not supporting Aiwohi. So he is the one who should leave. The DOE should have dealt with him long ago.

Anonymous said...

9:14 PM:
I worked for Shaylene for years when she was the Prosecutor. Trust me, I know the whole story.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Everyone should go to Hawaii Public Radio station website and type in the search box for Darryl Perry. In the 6:30 minute mark to 17:15 minute he talks about how they want to create a task force to watch the dirty cops from behaving badly.

What BS! You want to know then read the article written on April 15, 2003 in the Garden island News " Prosecutors office looking over Begleys assault case allegations.

Also read the book KPD Blue- if you are cheap then you can read it in Andy Parx News.

ES 177 is the X files that KPD, the County of Kauai, and State of Hawaii don't want you to know about!

May 11, 2013 at 1:04 AM

What is ES 177?

Yes, Beagley nearly killed by these KPD cops named as defendants. Hold over from "Kill Ha'ole" days. Other caucasian cops almost killed as well by who are suppose to be fellow KPD officers.

Task force? Why wait--should have started with Shaylene and stayed as far away from her as possible.

KPD supposedly getting acredited,too. Don't hold your breath, we've been hearing this since 2007, 6 years and counting.

In the meantime, white cops get their head kicked and punched in by local cops, and left with permanent brain damage and other injuries. White cops' firearms are withheld, given the crappy assignments, treated like dirt, harassed/intimidated, and then these good cops leave KPD.

And,it starts all over, again.

Anonymous said...

How much will Bynum's lawsuit against Shay end up costing the taxpayers? Can we vote them off the island?

Anonymous said...

and if a coastal hazard hits the north shore, how much money will the non enforcement cost the county?

Anonymous said...

From so many comments, it shows Kauai is rampant with legal battles. This is what the public servants spend their time doing. This is at hard working taxpayers' expense.

As for KPD and the HI Public Radio station spot, Darryl Perry brings up acredidation commented by anonymous, May 11, 10:19, KPD Chief Perry saying this is an exciting plan for KPD.

I guess everyone has been excited for 7-8 years if the 10:19 comment is correct, which I think it is.

I notice Chief Perry shows open disregard for some Caucasions he interacts with. I've seen contempt on his face too many times. I don't think he is aware of his facial expressions.

KPD Blue is alive and well. The Chief is smooth,that's all. Nothing has changed. Just ask the family who lost their elderly father who was shot from the roof top.

Chief Perry made a public announcement that the actions and amount of force were needed.

Who really believes this?

Anonymous said...

Depends on whether the non enforcement caused the damage/injury. If a tsunami like the one that hit Japan strikes Hawaii, lack of enforcement may not matter. Everything, legally built or not, will be washed away.

Dawson said...

> Depends on whether the non enforcement caused the damage/injury. If a tsunami like the one that hit Japan strikes Hawaii, lack of enforcement may not matter. Everything, legally built or not, will be washed away. <

It won't need a giant tsunami from a megaquake like Japan's to sink the county under a flood of lawsuits, just a 3-foot rollup atop a high tide would do nicely. There would be issues of liability for much more than the casualties and damage caused directly by waves; injuries to panicked visitors fleeing on jammed roads would be an issue if those visitors were ground-floor TVR guests who legally should never have been staying there in the first place.

The combined number of visitors housed in all the illegal ground floors of the island's TVRs could be larger than anyone suspects. In the event of even a small tsunami, their presence would impact not only their own safety but the safety of local residents and emergency personnel.

Anonymous said...

The cop that shot to death the unarmed elderly man will cost all of us millions of dollars in the civil lawsuit. It will probably be settled so that the county can hide the amount that will be settled.

You have to take a long and hard look at the cop that murdered the unarmed man on the his roof top. The police report from what I am hearing is another example of false reporting and misconduct.

The murdering cop and KPD is sending a message that they are not properly trained in the use of force and deadly force policies. The fact that They can shoot and kill you then write a false report is alarming. KPD refuses to send their recruits to an accredited police academy. Why? Well it is a complicated Syndicate(d) story.

The covered up murders like badly beaten females bodies, murders made to look like suicides and missing people then false reports is what they do best.

Dis some crazy shiet ova hea in paradize!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Has to be a reason(s) KPD doesn't really become accredited, and Darryl Perry still telling the public this is going to happen over 6 years later.

KPD could be accredited by now. Back in 2007, didn't Chief Perry tell the public this was a priority? Continues to say the same, 2013.

The family that lost their father, because KPD cop Chris Calio used excessive force, is due a million dollar settlement.

What good does it do though? No amount of money fills the void of this man being dead.

It's the same ole story. You scratch my back, and I scratch yours.

If you're haole, and raped, beaten half-to-death, or killed, you can forget about justice. Ain't gonna happen.

Might as well go lie in the cane field to die a slow death. Get it over with before the locals (some in uniform) attack, finish you off, and write a police report that you are an "unattended death," and there was no foul play.

KPD Blue days thriving. KPD Blue is the most accurate book written about corruption on Kauai. This is why the book just won't go away.


Anonymous said...

From The Garden Island, Letter to the editor on May 12.

"Nawiliwili robbery was an assault

Elected officials and members of law enforcement are entitled to an occasional slip of the tongue.

However, I have to comment on Mr. Kollar’s statement regarding the robbery at Nawiliwili being a “property crime.”

A property crime occurs when someone breaks into your car or lifts a wallet out of your beach bag. Using force to deprive someone of their property — in this case, knocking a visitor down — is robbery.

It is a violent crime, a crime against a person, and an assault.

Suzan Kelsey Brooks

West Des Moines, Iowa"

Anonymous said...

If Shay had a conscience . . .

Anonymous said...

I understand Ms Brooks point but they DID send the guy to prison. Justin's quote could've been more concise but OPA did its job in that case